[OLD] the music freaks oneshots

★ 16: Early-morning Phone Calls

ships : lander
genre : fluff

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The deep blue color of the sky slowly faded into a light, almost purple hue. Clouds started to show themselves, prepared to greet the city with a light shower of rain. A gust of wind blew past the many houses. No one was outside to feel it, except for the autumn leaves that danced on the sidewalks and in the trees.

Luke watched the entire scene unfold from the comfort of his own home, seated at a desk in front of the only window in his bedroom. The early morning sun shone through the glass, giving the room a soft glow.

He sighed, knowing he'd have to get ready to go to school soon. Just another boring cycle of lectures and quizzes on things they likely wouldn't need in the real world. Why couldn't school teach the more useful things, like how to pay bills or survival techniques, even? Or maybe classes could be better if they were adjusted to fit each student's individual needs and interests after they're taught the basics. Then again, that would be pretty difficult and many things could go wrong—whatever. The only thing Luke was looking forward to was spending time with Zander. Hey, the sky kind of looks like his hair—

His thoughts were interrupted by his vibrating phone. He turned it on to see two notifications: one was for a text from Zander, and the other said he was calling him. Luke first checked the text before answering the call.

I can see you're awake. I also can't sleep. I'll call you if that's alright.

Luke smiled and answered the call, turning on speakerphone. He saw Zander waving his hand with a grin on his face in the house across his.

"Hey. You seem awfully excited about this," he said, amused by Zander's enthusiasm.

"Well, we haven't done this in a while. Come on, let's waste an hour."

Luke laughed, and the two got to talking.

"Remember when we climbed that tree? You were so scared, you should've seen your face!" Zander said, giggling at the memory. "I can't believe you're still scared of heights to this day."

Luke rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed. He let out a small chuckle, though. "The tree was really tall, you know. And you're still afraid of spiders. I remember when that 'gigantic' spider made its way into our tent that one time we went camping," he teased.

"Hey!"

Luke just laughed in response. Zander sighed and grinned. Even from across the street, Luke could tell Zander enjoyed this moment.

It was easy to know when Zander was in a good mood. The most obvious sign was that he would be more relaxed. He'd also show that genuine smile more often. Luke thought that that gentle grin looked better on him than his constant frown.

Luke rested his head on his hand and admired the boy in the house across his. He wished every morning could be like this. It put both teens at ease and made them feel less stressed about attending classes later.

"We should do this more often," he suggested.

Zander beamed. It seemed he enjoyed this call as much as Luke did. "Yes! Definitely!" he almost shouted in excitement, which made Luke laugh. This was the side of Zander never shown to the public. Luke liked how Zander could trust him enough to be more open around him. He liked seeing him happier.

The sudden sound of Luke's alarm snapped the two boys back into reality. Luke checked his phone screen, which said it was 7 AM, one hour til classes start.

"Well, time for us to get ready for school," Luke said. "I'll see you then, Zander!"

"See you," Zander replied as he ended the call.

Luke smiled as he watched Zander leave his room. He's looking forward to more of these early morning phone calls.

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author's note :
I started this some time ago and I decided to finally finish it. I apologize if there are any mistakes, as I rushed it. Also, if the next oneshot I publish isn't one where Jake has selective mutism, then you have every right to scold me lmao